Rutland Churches
Langham
Reprinted from "The Lincoln, Rutland & Stamford Mercury,"
August 22nd 1862
1895
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OAKHAM
Printed By S. Matkin, Stationer, High Street
Rutland Churches
+ + Langham + +
The name of this parish may also be traced to the Anglo-Saxon era. Lang (long)
ham (village), i.e., the long village, from which it may be inferred that previous
to the Conquest its habitations occupied considerable space. The village, which
is distant from Oakham about two miles, is situate on the road leading to Melton
Mowbray. The church, dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, is one of the largest
in the county, and possesses very beautiful portions. Its plan consists of nave,
north and south aisles, south transept, chancel, south porch, and tower at the
west end. The north transept was taken down in 1802, previous to which it had
been converted into a schoolroom, as at the adjoining parish of Whissendine at
the present day. The nave and aisles are of unusual width for a village church,
and must have been very commodious for the processions that were formed
on the celebration of certain festivals previous to the Reformation. The oldest
part of the fabric appears to be the tower arch, the octagonal piers of which are
transitional Norman, the capitals containing a band of the nail-head ornament.
In the rebuilding of churches in the middle ages it was not unusual to leave the
lower stages of the earlier church standing, the walls being very massive. The
next oldest portions are the tower and chancel, which are Early English or first
pointed (13th century). In the 14th century the nave and aisles were rebuilt; and
in the 15th century the roofs of the nave, chancel, and aisles were taken down, the
Decorated roof of the south transept remaining at the present day. The flat roofs
of the Perpendicular period in this district are generally free from enrichment,
but the south transept roof exhibits richly-carved bosses on the principals, and
intermediate principals, and the wall-plates rise from boldly carved corbels. The
nave is of five bays, the piers are octagonal in form, the chamfered arches being
under hood-moulds having head terminations. The chancel screen is interesting
as showing a specimen of carving executed in the 14th century; it appears to be
coeval with the nave and transept. The roodloft is no longer visible, but the stone
steps by which it was reached are still to be seen from the burial-ground at the
north-west angle of the chancel. Two altar brackets show that there was at least
one chapel in the north aisle and transept : there were probably two or more. The
south transept contained two chapels, as shown by the remains of a screen now
seen there. The easternmost chapel here contains tabernacles, a trefoil-headed
piscina, and other richly carved details. From the western most chapel in this
transept the parvise over the porch was entered, the stone steps leading to it still
remaining. This apartment would probably be occupied by the priest who served
a chantry here. In the south-east angle of the porch below is a moulded recess in
the form of a tabernacle.
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The use of porches were for the early part of the service of baptism, for the same
portion of that of matrimony, for that of churching, and to break the violence
of the winds. This porch is of the second pointed (14th century) style. The
octagonal font is at the west end of the nave, the faces being without enrichment
: it is supported by four short pillars. In the south wall of the chancel there is a
circular-headed piscinia, and in the north wall an aumbrye. There are also two
low-side windows, in the usual positions (near the chancel arch), one being in the
south and the other in the north wall.
As we have before observed the use of these windows is a vexed question amongst
ecelesiologists, various theories having been advanced respecting them, viz., that
they were exterior confessionals, that they were openings for lepers to assist at
mass, that they were used for watching the Pasch-light, that they were offertory
windows, that they are symbolical of the wound in our Saviour’s side, &c. The
chancel east window is of five lights (transomed) ; in the north wall there is
a lancet; and in the south wall are a Decorated and a Perpendicular window,
each of three lights. On the site of the north transept two debased windows
have been erected : those westward are Perpendicular, each between a bold
buttress. The north doorway is second pointed, the arch being deeply moulded
and filleted ; above is a third pointed window of two lights. The west end of
the north aisle is lighted by a second-pointed window of two lights. The south
window of the transept is of five lights (transomed), the Perpendicular tracery
being very elaborate; its hoodmould, having notch-head terminations, belonged
to a Decorated window. This side of the Church is extremely rich, displaying
a profusion of exquisite carving of the 14th century. The window between the
transept and porch is of three lights, the jambs of which are enriched with the
ball-flower ornament, the same being repeated in the hollows of the hood-mould.
The porch is surmounted by crockets and a central cross, and above the outer
doorway are two recesses under a square head, also enriched with the ball-flower.
The clerestory and aisle roofs are em-battled, and below each is a rich cornice
consisting of the dog-tooth, ball-flower, nail-head, the four-leaved flower, and
other ornaments, in great profusion, especially that portion westward of the
porch. The tower is of three stages : the first is pierced with a lancet, the second
is blank, and the third is pierced with two lights in each face, the belfry windows
being deeply recessed, and exhibiting trails of the dog-tooth, presenting a rich
appearance. The buttresses are set square at the angles. The Decorated spire has
three tiers of lights of two windows each, all under triangular-headed crockets.
In the floor of the nave, near the font, is a slab containing a Latin inscription,
of which this is a translation: “Here lie Thomas Adam, formerly of Wellhouse,
senior, and Helena, his wife, merchant of the staple of Calais. He died in the year
of our Lord 1483, on the 27th day of the month of April.
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Thomas Adam, junior, son of the aforesaid, also merchant of the staple of Calais,
in the year of our Lord 1532 (or 1535) on whose souls may God have mercy.
Amen.” On the floor of the south aisle, northward of the transept, is an alabaster
slab bearing the effigies of those whom the legend of the border records and of
their eight children : “ Of youre charyte pray for they soils of John Clarke, Jone
and Anys, hys wyvys, the whiche John decessyd the iii. clay of February, in the
yere of owre Lord God 1532, of whose soils Jesu have mercy, Amen.” In the floor
of the chancel are several slabs recording the deaths of members of the Cheselden
family : they are of the latter part of the 17th century. When Wright visited this
church, in the reign of Charles II., some of the windows contained armorial
glass, exhibiting the arms of Lord Hastings (William Lord Hastings, who was
murdered by command of the Duke of Gloucester, and his estate confiscated
when he became Richard III., was chief forester of Rutland), Earl of Clare and
Gloucester, the Kings of the East Angles, and of Beauchamp Earl of Warwick.
The last-named was a considerable landowner in Rutland : his arms are on the
tower of South Luffenham church.
Camden says that Thomas Beauchamp had South Luffenham and other lands in
the county of Rutland by service to the King’s (Richard III.) Chamberlain in the
Exchequer. - On the Sunday after the feast of St. Peter in each year the floor of this
church is strewed with grass, but unlike the custom at Barrowden church, where the
grass remains six weeks, commencing with the feast, it remains here only on the feast
Sunday. There is a small piece of land in the parish that was left for the purpose of
supplying the grass for the church floor. The origin of the bequest is not known, but
it was faithfully performed, probably for several hundred years, until a few year ago,
when, owing to the nonresidence of the minister of the parish, and the supineness of
the church wardens, it was allowed to be retained by those who had no legal claim
to it whatever : the land had always been held by the sexton for the time being until
the present official entered upon his duties, when the descendant of his predecessor
refused to give up possession because, as he alleged, it had been in his family for many
years. Its wrongful retention by the family of Thorpe has been brought before the
notice of the magistrates sitting in petty sessions at Empingham, but in consequence
of the question of title being raised they had no jurisdiction. As custodians of the
parish property the present churchwardens should at once take possession of the land
that belongs to it. Similar bequests are attached to other parishes. At Clee church,
we have been informed by the Rev. W. P. Jones, the Vicar, the church is strewed with
grass on Trinity Sunday, when the feast is held, the grass used being mown from the
churchyard. There is a tradition in the parish that an old lady left a little field from
which rushes should be mown (not grass) for the purpose of strewing the floor of the
church. The land there has no doubt been misappropriated at some remote period,
as at Langham in our own clay, and at other places.
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At Old Weston, Hunts, there is about a rood of land, which is enjoyed by the
parish clerk on condition of his strewing the hay from it over the church floor on
feast Sunday, and letting it remain there until service is ended. At the church of
St. Mary Redcliffe, Bristol, it was the custom to strew the church with rushes at
the feast of Pentecost, and to pay the clergymen 30s. for preaching three sermons.
At Wingrave, Bucks, there is a small piece of land which was left for the purpose of
supplying rushes with which to strew the church every year on a feast Sunday. The
floor of Deptford church was formerly strewed with green rushes at Whitsuntide
and new grass straw at Christmas. At Glenfield, Leicestershire, there is a piece of
land called “church acre,” the profits of which have from time immemorial been
enjoyed by the parish clerk on the condition of strewing the church with new
hay on the first Sunday after the 5th of July. At Middleton Cheney it is a custom
(says Bridges) to strew the church in summer with hay gathered from six or seven
swaths in Ash meadow, which have been given for this purpose. The Rector
found straw in winter. The custom of strewing floors with rushes, hay, or straw,
was not confined to churches. Peter de Spelman held Brokenerst by sergeantry
to find straw for Edward II’s bed, and William de Aylesbury held a sergeantry in
Aylesbury to find straw for Edw. I’s bed and rushes to strew his chamber, and to
find a green goose when he went to that town. - In Domesday Book Langham
is included in one of the five hamlets belonging to Oakham, and the history of
one place is that of the other as far as owners of the soil is concerned until the
reign of Elizabeth, when Sir Gregory Cromwell alienated the manor of Langham
to Sir Andrew Noel, in which family it has remained till this day, the Earl of
Gainsborough being lord of the manor. This is the reputed native place of Simon
of Langham, Archbishop of Canterbury. This eminent prelate had previously
been Abbot of Westminster, Treasurer of England, and Bishop of Ely, of which
see he was consecrated March 20, 1362. Whilst at Ely he consecrated the church
of St. Cross, built at the cost of the convent ; it was situate on the north side of
the nave of the cathedral. He was a considerable benefactor of St. Peter’s college,
Cambridge, to the masters and scholars whereof he appropriated the church of
Hinton, near Cambridge. He was also appointed Lord Chancellor of England by
the King (Edward III.) Feb. 19, 1363; and in 1366, by Papal provision, translated
to the see of Canterbury. That he was not altogether popular appears from the
monastic rhymes which recorded his translation :
“ Exceltant coeli quia Simon vent ab Ely.
Cujus in adventum flent in Kent millia centurn.”
He restored the monks to Canterbury Hall, and dispossessed Wycliffe. Collier, in his
Church History, says, “Soon after his translation he received a strict order from Pope
Urban V. to enquire into the pluralists of his province; and here, upon examination, it
was found that some clerks (clergymen) had no less than 20 benefices and dignities by
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Papal provisions, with the privileges, over and above, to increase their number as far
as their interest would reach.” In 1368 he received a Cardinal’s hat from, Urban V.,
and (Nov. 17, 1368) resigned his archbishopric, the temporalities of which had been
already seized by the King, “ who,” says Collier, “ had not been made pre-acquainted
with his promotion.” Dean Milman, in his Anglia Sacra, instances the fact of the
Archbishop’s resignation as one of the many proofs of a “ change in the national
opinion and in the times.” The cause, however, is not altogether evident. It is asserted
that Langham was aiming at the Papacy, and that when he found his hopes in that
direction disappointed, “abdicati sui achiepiscopatus penituisse videtur.” Simon of
Langham died at Avignon in 1376, and was buried in the church of the Carthusians
there, whence, three years later, his remains were conveyed to the abbey church of
Westminster, in which great convent he had been successively monk, prior, and abbot,
and where, in the chapel of St. Benedict, on the south side of the procession path, his
grey marble table tomb, with effigy of alabaster, still remains.
“ Within these holy precints lie
Ashes which make it holier, dust which is
Even in itself an immortality,
Though there were nothing save the past.”
In this abbey, on March 20, 1362, Cardinal Langham administered the oath of
peace with France, in the presence of the French hostages, to King, Prince, and
Peer. A considerable portion of Langham church having been rebuilt in the 14th
century, it is probable the eminent native of the place contributed handsomely
towards the cost of its enrichment. In 1763 (just 100 years ago) Thos. Sharp, Esq,
of Langham, served the office of High Sheriff of the county.
The late Rd. Westbrook Baker, Esq., a landowner in this parish, held the office
in 1812 : his second surviving son Edward George, born in 1835, and who
succeeded to the Langham property, resides here, in a mansion erected in the
reign of Charles II., it being interesting, as showing the internal arrangements of a
gentleman’s residence of the period. In the vestibule is the original fireplace, and
also a beautiful specimen of Elizabethan carving in the form of a buffet : it was a
part of the pulpit ejected from Exton church, and purchased at Greetham as old
material of the person who became possessed of it through the church wardens.
There are various charities belonging to this parish, which are described in the
Report of the Charity Commissioners, published in 1839.
The education of the poor is well attended to, there being excellent schools in the
village. The magnificent church, however, is deserving better attention. We were
informed that the Incumbent has not ascended the pulpit here for many years,
and that the officiating minister is non-resident.
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